[hkolln]

I just finished this book. It is a great book! I got it on amazon

"Another Place at the Table" by Kathy Harrison

Blurb about it:

It's 1988, and Harrison, a happily married mother of three, takes a job with Head Start, working with at-risk four-year-olds. Her heart goes out to the foster kids; before long, she and her husband take state training and adopt two sisters. Five children make a big family, but Harrison finds it tough to turn her back on needy children. She and her husband start accepting emergency care "hot-line" foster children, too; soon, Harrison quits her day job and becomes a full-time-overtime, really-foster parent. In addition to a stay-at-home mom's usual duties, Harrison is caring for children with serious emotional baggage and often complex medical problems. There are lawyers, therapists and social service people to meet with, plus the scheduling of visits to birth mothers, an emotional roller coaster for all parties. Birth mothers, she finds, are often "harder to hate than you might expect," and when an especially difficult child comes along, it's almost impossible to accept that even foster parents have their limitations. And how do you "give enough" to each child so they get a healthy sense of family, "without loving them too much to let them go in the end?" With over half a million American children in foster care today, Harrison's personal but vitally important account should be read by public policy makers and by anyone with a spare room in their home.

[cabbagepatchkid]

I've read this book twice. The first time was just before I started doing foster care (it scared me half to death ) and the second time that I read it was a year after I had been doing foster care...this time around I found it totally funny and laughed my way thru the book. It's definitely a great book and now she has a second book out called "One Small Boat" also a wonderful book to read

[jackiesbooks]

I finished this book in a few hours! I loved it. I am thinking about sending it to a few of my relatives that have no idea of what fostering is about.

I have One Small Boat that I will start tomorrow!

[mrsred]

Just got the book on sale! I was in a bookstore that was closing and happened to see it on the shelf. I remembered seeing the title here so thought I would grab it. Don't have much reading time, but so far it seems good.

[mrsred]

Okay, now I am on chapter 12, and I have to say, if you haven't read it read it. If you are considering doing foster care, read it. It will give you an accurate view of what you are in for. If you are doing foster care, read it. You will recognize children you have had touch your life on these pages.

[jackiesbooks]

Just Finish One Small Boat - This is also Excellent!

[dd53]

I have read both books and I found One Small Boat to be probably the best book I have read about foater care and I read a lot! I would recommend it to anyone interested in fostering or currently fostering.

[athikers]

I also just read One Small Boat... I have read Another Place at the Table a couple times. I enjoy this author because she doesn't sugar coat things but she also helps you to see that even (or especially) in the "quirky" things about your foster children is where you might find you love them the most. The end of One Small Boat breaks my heart... it does reminds us of just HOW this all works and that there are no guarantees of the outcome.

[madfostermomma]

I have read both but I have to say One Small Boat really gets to the core of what it's like to foster. My husband doesnt read but I'm trying to get him to read it - I wish Kathy's book were on audio tape- then my non reading ( yes shockingly there are those types) could enjoy this foray into the world of foster care

[csisemore]

Hey she also has another book one small boat. i just finished it and it really was good. we haven't began our Foster parent journey yet. But this book had alot of insight from her point of view. I'm trying to get the other book from my library.

[MassachusettsMom]

Originally Posted by cabbagepatchkid

I've read this book twice. The first time was just before I started doing foster care (it scared me half to death ) and the second time that I read it was a year after I had been doing foster care...this time around I found it totally funny and laughed my way thru the book.

I've read it three or four times now and every time my perspective on the book changes. The first time I was horrified. The second time I found one or two grains of hope in the book. Now I think it is a fabulous story and am energized and inspired by her work.